The shift in TV technology away from traditional tubes & towards flat screens, but also dramatic declines in the prices for conventional TV glass have led Schott to end production of TV screens in Mainz, effective 30 November/04. In making this decision, the company is responding to a series of current developments. For one, the transition in technology from cathode ray tubes to flat screens, used in both LCD and plasma TVs, continues to pick up momentum. By 2010, these new technologies are projected to increase their share in the global TV market to 40% (from 6.5% in 2003). In addition, since mid-2002, customers in the monitor manufacturing industry have been closing a large share of their production sites in Europe or relocating to China or Eastern Europe. Overcapacity, increased competition & continued pressure on prices have been the result.
